List of people from Fort Worth, Texas

The following are people of note who were born in, live in, or have formerly resided in Fort Worth, Texas.

Sports

• Lance Cole Barrett (born 1984), Major League Baseball umpire
• Tom Buckman (born 1947), professional football player
• Beau Burrows (born 1996), MLB pitcher
• Chennedy Carter (born 1998), professional basketball player for Atlanta Dream
• Raymond Clayborn (born 1955), NFL football player
• Kyle Crick, professional baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates
• Donald Curry, former undisputed world welterweight boxing champion
• John Douglas (1945–2005), NFL player
• Brandon Finnegan, professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Monarchs
• Jack Haden (1914–1996), football player
• Phil Handler (1908–1968), NFL football player and coach
• Brad Hawpe (born 1979), professional baseball player
• Irv Hill (1908–1978), American football running back in the NFL for the Chicago Cardinals and Boston Redskins
• Brock Holt (born 1988), professional baseball player
• Rogers Hornsby (1896–1963), Hall of Fame baseball player
• Keith Langford, professional basketball player
• Yale Lary (1930–2017), Football Hall of Famer
• Rod Manuel (born 1974), football player
• Rags Matthews (1905–1999), football player for TCU
• Suzanne Mitchell, director of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
• Jeff Newman, MLB All-Star baseball player and manager
• William Paulus, swimmer and former world record holder in the 100m Butterfly
• Hunter Pence (born 1983), MLB baseball player
• Mike Renfro (born 1955), former NFL player
• Bryan Reynolds (born June 28, 2001), professional soccer player who plays as a right-back for Serie A club Roma and the United States national team
• Chuck Reynolds (born 1946), football player
• Mike Richardson (born 1946), NFL player
• A'Shawn Robinson (born 1995), NFL player; attended Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth
• John Roderick (born 1944), professional football player
• Johnny Rutherford (born 1938), race car driver, three-time winner of Indy 500
• Denise Rutkowski (born 1961), professional bodybuilder
• By Saam (1914–2000), sportscaster
• Annie Sanders (born 2007), professional rock climber
• Kelly Shoppach (born 1980), Major League Baseball catcher (2005–2013)
• Slick (1957–), WWE wrestling manager
• AJ Smith-Shawver, professional baseball pitcher for the Atlanta Braves
• Hurley Tarver (born 1975), football player
• Jeana Yeager (born 1952), broke distance records during her (and Dick Rutan's) 1986 nonstop flight around the world in an experimental Voyager

Politics and law

• Lawrence A. Alexander (born 1943 in Fort Worth), law professor
• Betty Andujar (1912–1997), first Republican woman in Texas State Senate (1973–1983)
• H.S. Broiles (1845–1913), 6th Mayor of Fort Worth, Texas^[1]
• Joel Burns (born 1969), politician
• Reby Cary (1920–2018), educator, historian, and member of the Texas House of Representatives
• L. Clifford Davis (born 1924), civil rights attorney and judge^[2]
• Charlie Geren (born 1949), member of Texas House of Representatives from District 99 in Tarrant County
• Pete Geren (born 1952), former member of U.S. House of Representatives; former U.S. Secretary of the Army; director of Sid W. Richardson Foundation
• Craig Goldman (born 1968), member of Texas House of Representatives from District 97 in Fort Worth
• Kay Granger (born 1943), U.S. Representative and former mayor of Fort Worth
• John Hodgson (fl. 2022), Kentucky state representative born in Fort Worth
• Debra Lehrmann, Texas Supreme Court justice, Place 3
• Joe K. Longley, former President of the Texas State Bar^[3]
• Lorraine Miller, first woman president of the NAACP, Interim president and CEO, 2014^[4]
• John T. Montford (born 1943), businessman and former member of the Texas Senate
• "Pappy" O'Daniel (1890–1969), Governor of Texas, U.S. Senator and radio personality
• Bill Owens (born 1950), former Governor of Colorado (1999–2007)
• Hugh Parmer (1939–2020), mayor of Fort Worth 1977 to 1979; member of both houses of Texas State Legislature
• Bennett Ratliff (born 1961), state representative from District 115 in Dallas County; civil engineer
• Tom Schieffer (born 1947), U.S. Ambassador to Japan, candidate for governor
• Mark M. Shelton (born 1956), pediatrician and politician
• Jonathan Stickland (born 1983), state representative from Tarrant County
• Bascom N. Timmons (1890–1987), journalist and political advisor
• Daniel E. Walker (1927–2009), civil servant, rescued remains of flag burned in protest at 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas
• Jim Wright (1922–2015), U.S. Congressman from Texas and Speaker of the House

Film and television

• Adrienne Ames (1907–1947), actress
• Texas Rose Bascom (1922–1993), film and television actress, National Cowgirl Hall of Fame inductee 1981
• Patricia Blair (1933–2013), actress
• Wes Brown (born 1982), actor
• Betty Buckley (born 1947), Tony Award-winning actress
• Kate Capshaw (born 1953), actress, married to Steven Spielberg
• Julio Cedillo (born 1970), actor, raised in Fort Worth
• Candy Clark (born 1947), Oscar-nominated actress
• Kenneth Copeland (born 1936), televangelist
• Shelly Duvall (born 1949), actress
• George Eads (born 1967), actor
• Richard Gilliland (1950–2021), actor best known as JD Shackleford in Designing Women
• Judy Graubart (born 1943), actress, The Electric Company
• Larry Hagman (1931–2012), actor, son of actress Mary Martin, played J.R. Ewing in Dallas
• Bug Hall (born 1985), actor
• Harriet Sansom Harris (born 1955), actress, Frasier, Desperate Housewives
• Martha Hyer (1924–2014), Oscar-nominated actress
• Jesse Jane (1980-2024), pornographic actor
• Benton Jennings, actor
• Candace Kita, actress and model
• Wallace Langham (born 1965), actor, The Larry Sanders Show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and CSI: Vegas
• David Mann (born 1966), actor, comedian and gospel singer
• Tamela Mann (born 1966), actor, singer and songwriter
• Lisa McRee (born 1961), television journalist
• Leighton Meester (born 1986), actress
• Lynn Merrick (1919–2007), actress
• Dan Hewitt Owens (born 1947), actor
• Fess Parker (1924–2010), actor
• Bill Paxton (1955–2017), actor, starred in Titanic, Frailty, TV series Big Love; attended Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth
• Richard Rawlings (born 1969), entrepreneur and reality television star
• Rex Reed (born 1938), film critic, actor, television host
• Rod Roddy (1937–2003), television announcer on game shows, like Press Your Luck & The Price is Right
• Ginger Rogers (1911–1995), actress and dancer who moved to Fort Worth at age 9; attended Central (Paschal) High School
• Bob Schieffer (born 1937), journalist, CBS Evening News anchor and Face the Nation host
• Michael "Bear" Taliferro (1961–2006), actor
• Hunter Tylo (born 1962), actress
• Lisa Whelchel (born 1963), actress, The Facts of Life
• Van Williams (1934–2016), actor, The Green Hornet
• Morgan Woodward (1925–2019), actor, Dallas and Cool Hand Luke
• Carlson Young (born 1990), actress, Scream

Military

• Horace S. Carswell Jr. (1916–1944), USAAF, KIA World War II; posthumous Medal of Honor recipient; namesake of Carswell Air Force Base
• Robert David Law (September 15, 1944 – February 22, 1969), Medal of Honor recipient
• Charles F. Pendleton, posthumous Medal of Honor recipient for actions in the Korea War; R. L. Paschal High School, Class of 1953

Music

• Trey Anastasio (born 1964), guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Phish
• Gerry Beckley (born 1952), singer-songwriter, founding member of the band America
• Leon Bridges (born 1989), soul singer and Grammy nominee
• T-Bone Burnett (born 1948), Oscar-winning songwriter, record producer, musician
• Kelly Clarkson (born 1982), Grammy winning singer, original American Idol winner, Emmy winner talk show host
• Van Cliburn (1934–2013), pianist
• Ornette Coleman (1930–2015), jazz musician
• Jeff Current, lead singer of Against All Will
• Bobby Day (1928–1990), musician
• John Denver (born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., 1943–1997), singer-songwriter
• Johnny Dowd (born 1948), musician
• Manet Harrison Fowler (1895–1976), singer, music educator, painter
• Kirk Franklin (born 1970), gospel singer and producer
• Pat Green (born 1972), country musician
• Marcus Haddock (born 1957 in Fort Worth), opera singer
• Derek Hames (born 1979 in Fort Worth), record producer, singer, songwriter, and musician
• Taylor Hawkins (1972–2022), drummer for Foo Fighters
• Julius Hemphill (1938–1995), jazz composer and saxophone player
• iayze, rapper and songwriter
• Ronald Shannon Jackson (1940–2013), jazz drummer
• Cody Jinks, country music singer-songwriter
• Prince Lasha (William Lawsha) (1929–2008), jazz saxophonist and flutist
• Vaden Todd Lewis (born 1965), lead vocalist and guitarist for the rock band Toadies
• Samuel S. Losh (1884–1943), vocalist, composer, and music educator
• Kirstin Maldonado (born 1992), singer-songwriter
• Delbert McClinton (born 1940), singer-songwriter
• Roger Miller (1936–1992), singer-songwriter
• Gary Morris (born 1948), singer
• Oh, Sleeper, heavy metal band
• Clay Perry (born 1990), songwriter and recording artist
• Dewey Redman (1931–2006), free jazz saxophonist
• Townes Van Zandt (1944–1997), country music singer-songwriter
• William Walker (1931–2010), opera singer and director

Academics and writing

• Mel Bradford (1934–1993), literary critic
• Heloise Bowles Cruse (1919–1977), syndicated columnist, Hints from Heloise
• James T. Draper, Jr. (born 1935), author, Baptist leader
• Clare B. Dunkle (born 1964), author, librarian
• Beth Haller, journalism professor
• Patricia Highsmith (1921–1995), author of Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr Ripley
• Lillian B. Horace (1880–1965), author, educator, librarian
• Dan Jenkins (1929–2019), sports journalist and author
• Sally Jenkins (born 1960), sports journalist and author
• Mary Daggett Lake (1880–1955), historian, botanist, and educator
• Robert L. Lynn (1931–2020), journalist, poet, and retired college president
• Blanche McVeigh (1895–1970), printmaker and art educator
• Hazel Harvey Peace (1907–2008), educator, activist, and humanitarian
• Theresa A. Powell (1952–2023), academic administrator
• Ben H. Procter (1927–2012), historian
• Rex Reed (born 1938), film critic
• Lenora Rolla (1904–2001), activist, educator, and historian
• Jennie Scott Scheuber (1860–1944), public library pioneer and Fort Worth's first librarian
• Liz Smith (1923–2017), journalist, syndicated columnist
• Blake R. Van Leer (1897–1956), colonel, civil rights icon, and president of Georgia Institute of Technology

Science

• Alan Bean (1932–2018), artist, retired NASA astronaut (1981); R. L. Paschal High School, Class of 1950; carried Paschal High School's flag to the Moon
• Robert Bruce Merrifield (1921–2006), biochemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1984
• Clyde Snow (1928–2014), forensic anthropologist

Business and philanthropy

• Sid Bass (born 1943), billionaire, Sundance Square developer, major stockholder in The Walt Disney Company
• Electra Carlin (1912–2000), art dealer
• Amon G. Carter (1879–1955), civic booster, philanthropist, creator and publisher of Fort Worth Star-Telegram
• T. Cullen Davis (born 1933), millionaire tried and acquitted for 1976 murders of Stan Farr and Andrea Wilborn
• Edna Gladney (1886–1961), founder of Edna Gladney Home
• Brad Hunstable (born 1978), founder of Ustream
• Hazel Vaughn Leigh (1897–1995), founder of the Fort Worth Boys Club
• Bill Noël (1914–1987), oil industrialist and philanthropist from Odessa, born in Fort Worth
• Sid W. Richardson (1891–1959), oilman, cattleman and philanthropist
• Lucille Elizabeth Bishop Smith (1892–1985), entrepreneur, chef, and inventor
• A. Latham Staples (born 1977), CEO of EXUSMED, civil rights activist and founder of Empowering Spirits Foundation

Other

• Ma Beland (1870–1952), leader of a crime family involved in narcotics
• Cattle Annie (1882–1978), female bandit, lived in Fort Worth 1910–1912
• Mark David Chapman (born 1955), killer of John Lennon
• Brown Harwood (1891–1963), realtor and leader in the Ku Klux Klan
• Opal Lee, activist promoting the Juneteenth federal holiday
• G. Craige Lewis (born 1969), Christian minister
• Lee Harvey Oswald (1939–1963), accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy
• Gretchen Polhemus, Miss Texas USA 1989 and Miss USA 1989
• Skratch (born 1972), pinstripe artist and fabricator
• Soapy Smith (1860–1898), infamous con man who started his career in Fort Worth
• Randy Souders (born 1954), visual artist and disability rights advocate

References

1. Lucas, Ray (May 11, 2021). "Broiles, Hiram Stokley (1845–1913)". Texas State Historical Association. from the original on January 26, 2024.
2. Kilpatrick, Judith. "Desegregating the University of Arkansas School of Law: L. Clifford Davis and the Six Pioneers" (PDF). Arkansas Black Lawyers. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
3. Patricia Busa McConnico (June 2018). "The Good Fight". Texas Bar Journal. p. 448.
4. Jeff Smith, "Fort Worth Native Makes History as Interim NAACP President & CEO", 5NBCDFW.com, 13 March 2014